Her betrothed was captured in 472 of the First Age during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears by Morgoth, but he returned in 490 with a companion who called himself Agarwaen son of Umarth (the Bloodstained, son of the Cursed). Unknown to Finduilas this was actually Túrin son of Húrin.

Despite her old feelings for Gwindor, Finduilas fell in love with Túrin, but Túrin refused her in respect for his friend. Gwindor realized this, and revealed Túrin's name to Finduilas, and tried to let Túrin fall in love with Finduilas, since he realized Finduilas loved Túrin.

At the sack of Nargothrond by Glaurung Gwindor was slain and Túrin was entranced by the dragon, and he could not hear Finduilas' cries as she was being dragged past him by the Orcs as a captive for Angband.

Due to Glaurung's deceit Túrin abandoned Finduilas and instead went to Hithlum in search for his kin, and by the time he finally went after her she had been killed: when the Orcs were waylaid by the Haladin of Brethil at the Crossings of Taeglin they killed all their captives, nailing Finduilas to a tree with a spear. The Haladin buried her in a mound they called Haudh-en-Elleth, Mound of the Elf-maiden.